1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team

The 1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represented the University of Idaho during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals were led by first-year head coach Don Monson and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. They were 11–15 overall and 4–10 in conference play.[2][3][4]

1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record11–15 (4–10 Big Sky)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaKibbie Dome
1978–79 Big Sky men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Weber State †10–4 .71425–9  .735
Northern Arizona8–6 .57114–14  .500
Idaho State8–6 .57114–13  .519
Montana7–7 .50014–13  .519
Gonzaga7–7 .50016–10  .615
Montana State6–8 .42915–11  .577
Boise State6–8 .42911–15  .423
Idaho4–10 .28611–15  .423
† Conference tournament winner

After four seasons with last place finishes in the conference, Jim Jarvis resigned as head coach in June 1978 under recurring allegations[5][6] of illegal recruiting.[7][8][9] The program had been placed on probation for one year in January, resulting in a reprimand for Jarvis and his assistant coach by the university.[6][10][11]

He was succeeded in August by alumnus Monson, an assistant at Michigan State,[8][12] who had significantly greater success. Although the Vandals were again in the cellar in 1979, the four conference wins were the most for the program in four years and the eleven wins the most in five. The groundwork had been made for significant improvement; Monson led Idaho to consecutive conference titles (1981, 1982) and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 1982.

Idaho's best-attended home games this season were the final two; 4,500 saw a fifteen-point loss to Boise State,[13] while 4,600 enjoyed a 21-point upset of Idaho State in the finale.[14] It was the Vandals' first win over the Bengals in four years; ISU had won the previous seven meetings.[14][15] A month earlier, the Vandals won decisively at Boise to snap two losing streaks; six to the Broncos and fifteen in conference play.[16]

The long-awaited win over Idaho State allowed the Vandals to regain possession of the "King Spud Trophy," an oversized metallic potato with a face and a crown,[17][18] first played for in 1962.[19] Bengal head coach Lynn Archibald thought it should go to the losing team: "It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen. The only good thing that happened last week was losing it."[20]

No Vandals were named to the all-conference team; junior guard Don Newman was on the second team, and junior forward Reed Jaussi was honorable mention.[21][22][23]

Roster
1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 3 Don Newman 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) RS JrLSU New Orleans, LA
G Ted Strugar 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
—
 FrArchb. Grace HS Minneapolis, MN
G 10 Bill Hessing 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
—
 JrCapital HS Boise, ID
C 11 Jeff Brudie 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
—
 SoBonneville HS Idaho Falls, ID
F 14 Reed Jaussi 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
—
 JrIdaho Falls HS Idaho Falls, ID
F 30 Terry Gredler 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
—
 Jr
G/F 31 Dan Forge 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
—
 SoLewiston HS Lewiston, ID
F/C 45 Chris Price 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
—
 RS Sr  San Bernardino, CA
F Ron Langrell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
—
 SrRoseburg HS Roseburg, OR
Bob Bronson
—
—
Jim Bateman
—
—
Jerry Lile
—
—
Gaylen Weigand
—
—
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on
Source:[14][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]

References
  1. "Munson (sic) takes time out to join football forecast". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 13, 1978. p. 4B.
  2. "Final college basketball standings". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). March 5, 1979. p. 3B.
  3. "College basketball standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 27, 1979. p. 21.
  4. "College basketball standings". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). February 26, 1979. p. 4B.
  5. Missildine, Harry (January 24, 1978). "Idaho will stand by Jarvis". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 15.
  6. Drosendahl, Glenn (January 28, 1978). "Penalties harsher than necessary – Belknap". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1B.
  7. Payne, Bob (June 28, 1978). "Jim Jarvis resigns as new probe looms". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 20.
  8. "Monson named UI basketball coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune. August 23, 1978. p. 1B.
  9. "Vandals avoid further penalties". Lewiston Morning Tribune. November 11, 1978. p. 2B.
  10. "Vandals dealt one-year rap". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. January 27, 1978. p. 26.
  11. Drosendahl, Glenn (January 27, 1978). "Idaho basketball on NCAA probation". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1B.
  12. Emerson, Paul (November 9, 1978). "Vandals: Don Monson's basketball team gets its first true test Monday". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1B.
  13. Killen, John (February 24, 1979). "Vandals doomed to cellar by Boise State's big men". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  14. Killen, John (February 25, 1979). "Langrell leaves Idaho a hero". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  15. Emerson, Paul (March 1, 1975). "Vandals surprise ISU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho).
  16. "Vandals upset Boise State". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). January 29, 1979. p. 21.
  17. "Basketball". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1963. p. 250.
  18. "Basketball". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1964. p. 264.
  19. "'King Spud' crown at stake tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 2, 1962. p. 14.
  20. Van Sickel, Charlie (February 28, 1979). "Dutch Rub: Today's smorgasbord". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 18.
  21. "All league: Newman on Big Sky second unit". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). March 7, 1979. p. 3B.
  22. "Cathey named All-Big Sky". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 7, 1979. p. C1.
  23. "3 Wildcats on all-Big Sky team". Deseret News. (Walt Lake City, Utah). UPI. March 7, 1979. p. E4.
  24. "Australians invade Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 13, 1978. p. 1B.
  25. Drosendahl, Glenn (November 14, 1978). "Exhibition or not, Idaho happy to beat Australians". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  26. "Vandals open shorthanded at Minnesota". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 25, 1978. p. 3B.
  27. "UI opener". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 26, 1978. p. 3B.
  28. "Vandals' Monson wants to be convinced". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). February 2, 1979. p. 1B.
  29. Drosendahl, Glenn (February 3, 1979). "Vandals do strange things to Montana". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  30. Drosendahl, Glenn (February 9, 1978). "Determination". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
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